AFRICA, NEW MARKETS?

Posted by Joseph Albet | | Be the first to comment this article

Dear employer, what would you recommend doing business in countries in sub-Saharan Africa? Probably what you say or talk about it or that's what gave them to understand, in La Vanguardia (02-06-2008), Mario Rollo, CEO Cobega, a company that has the concession of Coca Cola in twelve African countries; specifically stated: "In Europe it is not easy to grow and expensive. And when something grows much all there was. But Africa is not aroused much interest and nobody wants to go. (...) There are opportunities for small and medium-sized companies .... "

And probably right, because something is moving around the continent. On February 27 was organized the Forum of Experts in Market Sub-Saharan Africa at the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the General Council of Chambers of Catalonia, Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, Casa Africa and COPCA, presented on 18 March in Barcelona Casa Africa, based in Las Palmas, in a ceremony organized by the Chamber of Commerce, the House Cidob and Asia, on 16 and 17 June there And is the international meeting of African and Catalan Universities organized by the Africa Institute of Catalonia , and this week the project was presented to the constitution of the Africa House Foundation of Catalonia .

Where can come this interest? On one side, closeness, but has always been the same place and not the fact there is little case, but on the other, the changing trend of the economies of their countries. There are several reports of international organizations (1) so that highlights and an article by Xavier Sala-i-Martin in La Vanguardia titled "Soplan winds of hope" - also on 13 March this year - that explains it pretty well. Of the reasons argued, there is probably a fundamental input in China as a buyer of raw materials and investment in local businesses, and also India and even Japan. In other words, Africa is beginning to be perceived as a potential market.

But there are risks , some risks now affect us all - oil prices, food prices, the risk of recession, climate change - but in an environment of poverty, ethnic conflicts and institutional framework and weak democratic, but may be higher. But Africa is very large, there are many countries with substantial differences: Benin, Botswana, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Namibia, etc.. countries are of a high level of security and politics than Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Congo, or Zimbabwe, for example. From that treatment is not only looking at Asia. We must also bear in mind that market, perhaps because prejudices are not accustomed to consider it and starting to have enough data to believe that something may be changing.

Joseph Albet